The Push by Claire McGowan follows the stories of an antenatal group throughout their pregnancies. The Push creates suspense building up to a party, hosted by Monica, post birth of all the babies. The Push highlights the trials, tribulations and joys that becoming a mother becomes for everyone. It places emphasis on relationships and how important they are. The book was full of suspense 75% in.

I was so excited to see a new book from Claire McGowan ARC available! And it did not disappoint - solid 4.5!

Alison, a detective, finds herself at a posh house with a body fallen off a balcony and surrounded by a diverse and hysterical group of mothers and newborns. For the first third of the book, we don't know who has met this untimely demise. When we do find out, questions abound. What possible motive and connection could there be? It turns out, each person and couple has their own secrets and no one is entirely innocent.

While this is definitely a thriller, I felt like it was also a character study in marriage and pregnancy/motherhood. I found it to be a fresh take in the genre and very enjoyable! The twists kept coming right up until the final pages - and I was genuinely surprised at the ending. It seemed like most of the storylines wrapped up very neatly, which was surprising given some of the admitted transgressions.

Overall, I would recommend this as an enjoyable, draw-you-in domestic thriller with a new take on the genre!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is a good one but the plot has a number of holes and didn’t feel very plausible. It was also fairly easy to predict certain key plot spoilers. Nevertheless it was a good quite pacy read.

I enjoyed this one. I mean…I hated almost every character, but I hated them equally and I was totally invested in who died and why.

I did love the fact that the author gave us such a diverse group of characters – not only in race, but age & economic status. While they all had impending parenthood in common, they had little else in common and that really added to the tension in the book.

Finally, it was a solid police procedural. The author did a good job of using different character POVs to build out the story and our solution to everything was satisfying.

Would read the author again!

*ARC via Net Galley

The Push - Claire McGowan

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Amazon Publishing and Netgalley.

The Push is a book that once you start reading, you just can’t stop. It is a fast paced book which easily tells the story of six couples and DS Alison Hegarty, who is charged with investigating the ‘incident’. The story focuses mainly on the last 8 weeks of Jax’s pregnancy, whilst also incorporating the events of ‘the day’ from each of the character’s perspective and also details Alison’s current day investigation.

Whilst every couple is vastly different from the next, they have one thing in common, they all have a secret. Alison is tasked with unravelling the secrets to determine what actually happened on ‘the day’

Rating: 4.5/5
This is the first book I have read by Claire McGowan, but after reading The Push and really enjoying it I think I will check out some of her other books.

It was supposed to be the perfect party: Six couples are to come together for a party, having met at an antenatal group. They're supposed to have six perfect little babies to show off. But not everything has gone to plan.

Especially not now that someone has fallen off the balcony...

DS Alison Hegarty is called to investigate. It's thought to be nothing more than a terrible accident, but Alison believes it's much darker altogether. And the deeper she digs, the more secrets these people all seem to be hiding. Including murder...

I have mixed feelings about this book. I'll get the things that didn't quite work for me out of the way first.

I had a hard to connecting to a lot of the characters--in particular the ones who took up the most space on the page--because they were so awful. My sympathies went to Aisha, Chloe, and Aaron, but their parts were so small. And speaking of the latter, Jax did not deserve him. Her condescending attitude toward someone with whom she decided to get pregnant was repugnant. I couldn't stand another "Oh woe is me how can he take care of me and the baby when he's just a hoodie wearing big man-child" statement. I know the book was aiming at some point that she was suffering from post-partum depression; instead her attitude throughout left me with zero sympathy for it.

It was also a little hard to take the overall heavy handed anti-pregnancy message this imparted. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive because I actually like being a mom, but aside from Cathy and Aisha, who seem to be ok with motherhood, we're treated to a variety of "kids are terrible because climate change, overpopulation, they ruin mothers' bodies/homes/finances/lifestyles, etc."

BUT, and I know those negatives seem kind of major, but I really did enjoy this book. It was truly a page turner and an interesting premise that I had a hard time putting down once I started. It takes some time before you know for sure who dies and then you never know for sure "whodunit" until the very end. McGowan does a great job keeping you guessing the whole time.

It's also well written and the voice of the characters is great. There are a lot of POVs in this book (I really liked Alison), but it wasn't difficult to tell them apart. And though I mentioned not liking many people here, it takes a certain skill to voice them in such a way to draw out your negative emotions. And I definitely do like feeling something when I read. And all things together, I'll definitely check out McGowan's other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for proving this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel. A group of six couples and their instructor from a pre-natal class plan to meetup for a celebratory party a couple of weeks after most women have delivered. An awful accident/ murder happens at the party when one of the women falls from a balcony. Alison, a detective sent to the home is suspicious. Told from various POV’s counting down from the first of the six week class we are introduced to all attendees (too many characters to keep up with at first). Unusual in that we are halfway through before we find out which women was dead, which I liked, but did guess. The second half is the continuation of our character’s back stories (all have something to hide from either the police or their partner). None of the women or their partners are really likable but I was invested in finding out who was dead, and then why. Alison, who wants a baby, is convinced it’s murder and so do we,

It all begins with a group of mothers and their partners see an advertisement for a group for expectant mothers. They are a diverse group and the members could not be more different. The one thing they all have in common is that they all have secrets that they are hiding. There has been an event that could be an accident, or could be a cold blooded murder. The timing could not be worse the the detective on the case. DS Allison has been struggling with infertility and now she is surrounded by newborns with a side of deception. I thought the characters and situations in this book were fairly novel and liked that it went back and forth between different characters to prize out their side of the event. I thought this was a fairly well written and am thought the pieces came together well. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This is a page turning book, where I was so keen to know what happened next, that I would have finished the book in one sitting, if my tablet charger had not run down. Nothing daunted I was reading the next day, and there are so many twists and turns to the plot, that I will not spoil it for the reader. All I can say is that I recommend this book, and happily give it a five star rating.
The book concerns a group of mother's to be, who join an ante natal group, where a death takes place. Was it an accident? This is what the detective, Alison, wants to find out. In the process, she discovers that every person at the barbecue has something to hide. But is it relevant to the death or not? I can say no more without spoiling the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book for review. What a page turner! An economically and socially diverse group of soon-to-be parents meet for a series of prenatal classes at a community center in South London. At the start of the book we learn that, post giving birth, the group will meet at one of the members home for a bbq. An accident happens and one member dies. Is it truly an accident or murder? From that point on the story flys. We learn the back stories on all the couples as the story switches back and forth from their pregnant states to the day of the party and subsequent accident. The investigation is conducted and we learn how each of the couples had secrets they hope to protect. I am really looking forward to reading more by this author.

What happens when a diverse group of people ends together in prenatal class and everyone has their problems, secrets and doubts?

I love these type of thrillers where every character has his/hers own narrative. It was a little predictable in the end but nevertheless a gripping story that I've read in one evening.

I didn't really get into this story line until about the middle and I couldn't really engage with the characters. Overall it was a well written book but probably wasn't really suited to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This novel ticked many boxes for me, being original, engaging, and above all, utterly readable!
Despite coming from multiple perspectives, I had no problem following as I dipped in and out of this novel. It was so engaging that I found myself eagerly anticipating each opportunity to delve back in!

Nina, a somewhat mysterious NCT group leader, falls to her death at a barbecue attended by several couples (all of whom are the new parents who recently attended her classes). Investigating officer, Alison, is loathe to believe that this is the unfortunate ’accident’ all witnesses claim it to be, and as we, (through Alison’s perspective), delve deeper into the story it becomes apparent that everyone has something to hide, with motive and opportunity at every turn.

A couple of ‘twists’ in this novel went much the way I’d expected, but this didn’t in any way detract from my enjoyment of the story, and as such I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.

My thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I first would like to thank Claire McGowan, the publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC of The Push for an honest review. This is not my first book read by this author and I enjoyed them very much so I was thrilled when I received an ARC however, I was unable to finish it. I'm not sure if the book is slow in the begining I didn't make it very far but I'll try again and post an update on this review.

The Push by Claire McGowan was a suspenseful novel about the mysterious death of a new mother. Is THE PUSH about pushing out a baby, or is THE PUSH what happened to the person who fell from the balcony of the mansion?

In this group of new moms and dads, it seems like everyone has something to hide. The investigator on the case is Alison, who wants to have a baby, so the case really strikes a chord.

Six couples, new babies, and a gorgeous house. What could go wrong?

Take a look:

The party should have been perfect: six couples from the same baby group, six newborns, a luxurious house. But not everything has gone to plan, and while some are here to celebrate, others have sorrows to drown. When someone falls from the balcony of the house, the secrets and conflicts within the group begin to spill out …

DS Alison Hegarty, herself struggling with infertility, is called in to investigate. She’s convinced the fall was not an accident, and finds the new parents have a lot to hide. Wealthy Ed and Monica show off their newborn while their teenage daughter is kept under virtual house arrest.

Hazel and Cathy conceived their longed-for baby via an anonymous sperm donor—or so Hazel thinks. Anita and Jeremy planned to adopt from America, but there’s no sign of the child. Kelly, whose violent boyfriend disrupted previous group sessions, came to the party even though she lost her baby. And then there’s Jax, who’s been experiencing strange incidents for months—almost like someone’s out to get her. Is it just a difficult pregnancy? Or could it be payback for something she did in the past?

It’s a nightmare of a case, and as events get even darker it looks impossible. Only one thing is clear: they all have something to hide. And for one of them, it’s murder.

The book is told through multiple points of view. The reader knows something happened and someone died, but we don’t know who until about midway, and we don’t learn the details until close to the end. That was enough to keep me hooked. I didn’t figure it all out until the author revealed certain parts, so I liked that. I want to be kept guessing!

There are many characters to keep track of but don’t let that deter you from this entertaining novel. I liked it!

Pre-Order The Push here, it comes out on November 12!

It should be a happy occasion: six couples and six babies, a baby group meeting up to discuss the highs and lows of new parenthood. But while some are ready to celebrate - and absolutely judge most of the other guests - others are feeling lonely and isolated. When someone falls from the balcony of the house, it’s clear everyone has secrets, good and bad, and they won’t take long to surface. The DS in charge of the incident also wants a a baby but it’s not proving successful. How will she cope when surrounded by new mothers? Each couple has something to hide, and something to say about the person who fell. I lapped this up - I thought it was clever, quick-witted and you feel empathy for those you should. Really interesting take on the idea of becoming a new parent.

This was a 3.5.star for me. There was something compelling about wanting to know the outcome but the speed of the book dipped at times.
A group of couples meet at an ante-natal group. They are all very different characters with different journeys resulting in them getting to that point. Once the babies are born, they reassemble at a party where an incident occurs. We learn very early on that this might not have been an accident (The book title also makes this plainly obvious!)
I think this author is suffering with me as I absolutely loved one of her previous books, What You Did. This is not as strong but still a fine read.

a good and enjoyable read which has kept my attention and kept me guessing.
This is a great author and i cannot wait to recommend this book to everyone.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Claire McGowan for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review"

The Push is an excellent mystery about a baby group gone wrong. The book mainly focuses on Jax and Aaron, a May December couple (She is 38 and he is 24) who seem ill suited to be having a baby. Towards the end of Jax's pregnancy, they join a baby group. The group has six couples, all in various states of disarray. One couple is adopting, One couple is an arranged marriage, One is in their early 20s and struggling, One is a lesbian couple and another older wealthy couple. Monica, the older weatlhy woman, has a BBQ at her home, and someone is murdered.

This book had so many twists and turns that sometimes I had a hard time keeping up. The ending surprised me, which is sometimes hard to do. I wish that Claire McGowan had provided more of an epilogue as I really wanted to see how all of these couples ended up. I gave it five stars! It was a lot of fun.

This book centers around a group of mother and father to be attending an antenatal course and a death. I thought this book was great! it had a lot of good drama but some details I could see coming. nevertheless, it was a great read.


Thank you to the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.